Pune Security Guard Arrested for Faking Own Kidnapping to Extort Rs 2 Lakh from Family
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Baner, 24th February 2026: In a shocking turn of events, the Baner Police have arrested a 21-year-old security guard who allegedly staged his own kidnapping to extort a ransom of Rs 2 lakh from his own family members.
The accused, identified as Manishkumar Jamnaprasad Dwivedi (21), originally hails from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and was employed as a security guard in the Baner area of Pune.
According to the police, the ordeal began when Manishkumar was supposed to travel back to his hometown on February 9. While he initially confirmed his travel plans over a phone call, his mobile phone was later switched off.
The situation escalated on February 10 when his father and brother received a threatening WhatsApp message from Manishkumar’s number. The message read in Hindi: “If you want to see your son alive, you have 6 hours. Arrange two lakh rupees. If you try to tell the police, he will be killed. If the money is not received in 6 hours, we will kill your brother.”
Panicking for his brother’s safety, the complainant rushed to Pune and filed a formal First Information Report (FIR) at the Baner Police Station on February 11.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Senior Police Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant and Police Inspector (Crime) Alka Sarag immediately formed a special investigation team.
However, technical analysis and on-ground intelligence quickly began to poke holes in the kidnapping theory. CCTV footage and preliminary probes revealed that Manishkumar was roaming freely around the city alone in an auto-rickshaw. Furthermore, he was spotted voluntarily visiting friends at a residential society in Mahalunge on February 9, 10, and 12. His relaxed body language and independent movements strongly indicated that he had not been abducted.
Investigators tracked his digital footprint, discovering that the accused had traveled from Pune to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and eventually back to his hometown of Prayagraj.
A specialized police team, including Assistant Police Inspector (API) Kailas Daberav, and personnel Babasaheb Aher and Kisan Shinge, was dispatched to Uttar Pradesh. They successfully located Manishkumar, took his relatives into confidence, and brought him back to Pune on February 23.
During interrogation, Manishkumar confessed to the crime. He admitted that he had orchestrated the entire fake kidnapping plot solely to extract money from his father and brother. The police revealed that his family had even transferred an advance ransom payment of Rs 10,000 online, believing he was in immediate danger.
The Baner police have officially arrested Manishkumar and recovered the extorted ransom amount.
The successful detection of the crime was carried out under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Manoj Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-4) Rajanikanth Chilumula, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Khadki Division) Vitthal Dabade, and Sr. PI Chandrashekhar Sawant. The field team included Ganesh Raykar, Ganesh Gaikwad, Sandesh Nikalje, Atul Ingale, Pradip Kharat, Sharad Raut, Gajanan Avatirak, and Swapnil Marathe.
